Expansion-joint for oil gas generators



May 1, 1934. 1.. B. HARRIS EXPANSION JOINT FOR OIL GAS GENERATORS.

Filed Jan. 3, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l v INVENTOR. LEONARD B'HARR/S lllllllrltll v A'TFORNEYSI May 1, 1934. I L. B. HARRIS I 1,956,794

- EXPANSION JOINT FOR OIL GAS GENERATORS Filed Jan. 3, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. LEONARD B-HARR/S BY f Y W Arrom.

Patented May i 1934 EXPANSKON-JOHNT FOR (NHL GAS GENERATORS Leonard E. Harris, Bayside, N. Y assignor to llnternationai Oil Gas Corporation, New York, N. lY., a corporation of Delaware Application January 3,

The present invention relates to improvements in oil gas generators. By this invention removably mounted retorts are provided depending from a gas collecting header, the header having 5 upper and lower walls and apertures in the upper wall through which the several retorts may be removed. One of the objects of this invention is to provide an expansion joint for maintaining retorts seated so as to be gas tight in a header during expansion and contraction of the retorts due to high temperature variations.

An object of this invention is to provide an efficient construction whereby the escape of gas around the expansion joint will be prevented, while atthe same time a joint which allows the free diametrical expansion and contraction of the parts is provided.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly 26 described. An illustrative embodiment of the invention will be shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a vertical elevation of an oil gas making element showing one of the expansion joints. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section partly broken away showing a modified form of expansion joint. Fig. 3 is a side view of a blank gland assembly. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, reference character 10 indicates one of the gas making elements mounted in a gas collecting header 11, that is provided with a conical seat 12, in its lower side 13. The seat 12 receives a conical enlargement 14 integral with the upper end of a retort 15, which is made of high heat resisting metal. The retort 15 depends from the lower side of the header and the conical seating surfaces of the retort and header tend to maintain the retort in vertical position. The upper side 16 of the gas collecting header 11 is provided with apertures 17 suificiently large to permit outward passage therethrough of the retorts 15, each aperture 17 having its upper end. 18 recessed or countersunk so as to receive a gland 19. The gland 19 is provided with a body 20 having a reduced portion 21 for the annular packing members 22. The body 20 is provided with a hollow cylindrical extension 23 having an annular ring 24 at its lower end. The ring 24 seats in a corresponding groove 25 that is provided in the upper surface of the retort. 15. The gland 19 is provided with a flange 26 having clearance holes 27 for studs 28. The studs 28 are screwed into threaded holes 29 in the upper side 16 of the header ll. Compression springs 30 are interposed between threaded nuts 31 at the upper ends 1933, Serial N0. 649,941

of thestuds 28 and the flange 26. The springs 30 serve to press the gland 19 and the retort 15 against the conical seat 12 under all conditions of temperature variation to which the retort 15 may be exposed in-the furnace (not shown). The hollow cylindrical extension 23 of the gland 19 is provided with a number of apertures 32 through which the gas generated in the retort 15 enters the header 11.

The packing members 22 are compressed and seat tightly both at their inner and outer circumferences and when the gland 19 rises or falls due to the expansion or contraction of the retort these packing members form a packed slipjoint with the gland and maintain the required tightness and prevent air from entering the header;

An atomizer 33 comprisesa body portion 34 having a flange 35 that rests upon the upper threaded end of an inner tube 36 which is also made of high heat resisting metal. A threaded thimble 37 keeps the body portion 34 in firm contact with the tube 36. The tube 36 is screwed into the threaded central portion 38 of the gland 19 and a lock nut 39 clamps the tube 36 in place.

It is to be noted that an oil gas generator in connection with which this invention is utilized usually consists of a plurality of gas making elements 10 and that each element 10 consists of a header 11, a retort 15, a gland 19, an atomizer 33 and springs 30 serving to press the gland 19 and the retort 15 tightly against the seat 12 in the header 11, thus forming an expansion-joint 40. The expansion-joint 40 comprises the conical seating surfaces 12 and 14 which are at such an angle to a plane at right angles to the axis of the retort 15 that they slide in relation to each other when expanded or contracted. These surfaces are therefore pressed into tight seating engagement with each other under all conditions of furnace temperature by the springs 30. The springs store up energy externally of the heat zone and act for forcing the parts into gas-tight seating relation in the heat zone.

Fig. 2 shows a modified form of expansion-joint 41 comprising a removably mounted retort 42 having a square-shaped collar 43 at its upper end. The collar 43 seats in a recess or seat 44 in the header 11. When the upper end of the retort 42 expands radially the collar 43 slides sideways in the recess 44 without rising above its seat. The gland 45 transmits the pressure of the springs described above against the seat 44 under all temperature variations in the furnace.

Fig. 3 shows a blank gland 46 suitable for replacing the gland 19 shown in Fig. 1. The blank gland 46 is provided with a conical lower end 47 to fit into the conical seat 12 and may be used to fill the openings that are left when any retort, that has failed, has been removed.

The operation is as follows:

The springs 30 are compressed by the threaded nuts 31 to cause the gland 19 to press against the upper portion of the retort 15. The amount of pressure is regulated by adjusting the threaded nuts 31 before the furnace is started and is regulated so as to permit the retort to rise slightly in its seat 12 when expanded diametrically due to the high temperature. When the retort rises upwardly the gland 19 rises a corresponding distance.

When the furnace is shut down and the temperature drops the retort 15 cools and contracts and due to the pressure of the springs 30 the gland 19 is urged downward with the ring 24 contacting with the groove 25 in the upper surface of the retort thus causing the conical portion 14 of the retort 15 to resume its original position in the conical seat 12 in the header 11. The result is that when the furnace is started up again the air in the furnace cannot enter the gas collecting header past the conical seat 12. Also the gas remaining in the header 11 when the oil gas generator is shut down cannot leak out and escape from the header past the conical seat 12.

By providing removable glands 19 in the threaded central portion 38 of which threaded inner tubes 36 may be suitably mounted it is possible to remove any gland and its inner tube through,one of the apertures 17 and to substitute a duplicate gland'and inner tube quickly in case one of the irmer tubes 36 or an atomizing mechanism 33 becomes inoperative. Also, a blank gland 46 shown in Fig. 3 may be quickly substituted in place of a threaded gland 19.

My oil gas generator comprises a plurality of oil gas making elements 10, 10, delivering gas into a common header 11. The externally positioned springs 30 maintain the desired amount of pressure on the retorts 15 at all times and make the expansion joints gas-tight when the parts are cold as well as after they have reached the high working temperature. The pressure existing on the respective retorts may be controlled independently of the other retorts, thereby taking care of any inequalities of temperature that may occur. Repairs may be made quickly in any retort without disturbing the other retorts. While the retorts are amply secured and held in place they are not permanently fixed or caulked in place but are free to expand and are forced back into gas-tight seating position when cooled. When the upper end of a retort l5 expands radially it is constrained to rise on the substantially V-shaped seat 12 which preferably tapers at an angle of approximately thirty degrees to the vertical.

I claim:

1. In an oil-gas generator, a gas-collecting header having upper and lower walls, a. depending retort removably mounted through an aperture in the upper wall and having a closed lower end exvided with a conically shaped enlargement, said header having a conical seat in its lower wall for said enlargement, a gland extending through a packed slip-joint in said upper wall and contact,- ing with said enlargement, and means positioned externally of said header for forcing said gland and said enlargement resiliently against said seat.

2. In an oil-gas generator, a gas-collecting header having upper and lower walls, a depending retort removably mounted through an aperture in the upper wall and. having a closed lower end exposed to furnace heat and an open upper end provided with a conically shaped enlargement, said header having a conical seat in its lower wall for said enlargement, and forming an expansion joint permitting said retort to freely expand diametrically and longitudinally while maintaining gastight contact with said header, and means for forcing said enlargement resiliently in a gas-tight member against said seat, said means comprising a spring pressed gland contacting-with said enlargement at the upper end of said retort.

3. In an oil-gas generator, a gas-collecting header, a depending retort having a closed lower end exposed to furnace heat and an open upper end provided externally with a conical shoulder, said header having a conically shaped seat for said shoulder, and forming an expansion joint permitting said retort to freely expand diametrically and longitudinally while maintaining gastight contact with said header, a flanged gland associated with said header and contacting with the upper end of said retort, and springs positioned externally of said header for forcing the conical shoulder of said retort into close contact with said seat.

4. In an oil-gas generator, 2. gas-collecting header, a depending retort removably mounted in said header and having a closed lower end exposed to furnace heat and an open upper end provided externally with a conical downwardly tapering shoulder, said header having a recessed upper wall with an aperture therethrough and a lower wall with a conically shaped seat therein for said shoulder, and forming an expansion joint permitting said retort to freely expand diametrically and longitudinally while maintaining gastight contact with said header, a flanged gland for a packed slip-joint extending through the aperture in the upper wall of said header and pressing against the upper end of said retort, studs and nuts on said header for operating said gland, and springs interposed between the flange of said gland and said nuts for forcing the conical shoulder of said retort into close contact with said seat.

5. In an oil-gas generator, a gas-collecting header, a retort having an integral enlarged upper end, said retort passing through a wall of said header and having its enlarged upper end in contact'with said wall and being supported by said and means to maintain said surfaces in firm en- 

